“Joe and Allie want to join our club, but they don’t want to work,” Edward said, sitting down next to Grandpa. “It is our club rule that everyone helps out. Should I let them come anyway?”

Grandpa looked at Edward’s sober face and smiled. “Being a club president is a difficult thing, isn’t it? Maybe you’d like to hear a story about when David became king, and how he was established by

The Standard of Righteousness

(Reference: 2 Samuel 3-4.)

After Saul had died, David was at last made king in Hebron. But from the start there was competition and trouble. While the people of Judah were eager to have him king, those from the capital were not. David sent his sympathy for Saul’s death and tried to encourage peace. But Saul’s faithful general, Abner, set up Saul’s son as king of Israel instead. And so the long struggle between the house of David and the house of Saul continued for several more years.

Suddenly the tables turned. Abner agreed to make peace, but was murdered by David’s unforgiving general. “I am not responsible for this man’s blood,” the distressed King said, as he mourned for the brave warrior. It was peace that David wanted, not revenge. He wanted to establish the throne in righteousness. How could all this cruel bloodshed be stopped?

David didn’t have long to wonder, for new trouble quickly followed. Two brothers, Rechab and Baanah, had arrived in Hebron with an important message for the king. “See, we have brought you the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul, who tried to kill you,” they said proudly. “The Lord has given the king revenge over his enemies today!” They had murdered Saul’s son on his bed and sneaked away without anyone finding out.

As David looked at their eager faces, he thought of how God had always delivered him from trouble. This was certainly not the way of righteousness. “As the Lord lives,” he said sternly, “I killed the man that thought I would reward him for the death of Saul, and how much more will you have to pay for killing an innocent man in his own house?”

At David’s command the wicked reward-seekers were killed and hung up as an solemn example. This King meant business when he said he wouldn’t revenge his enemies. So the poor head of Ishbosheth was buried, and with it, the long enmity with Saul’s house.

Edward looked thoughtful as Grandpa finished the story. “So you mean,” he said slowly, “it is better not to let Joe and Allie get away with not working, because the rest won’t want to help either?”

“You have to hold up the standard, or else you won’t have any standard,” Grandpa said quietly. “If David allowed the murder of these enemies, he might as well have killed Saul in the cave. And you know, he knew that was the wrong thing.”

“Didn’t God say he shouldn’t kill Saul?” Edward asked.

“We shouldn’t kill anybody,” little brother, Sammy, chimed in.

“That’s true,” Grandpa said. “God had allowed Saul to be king, and David wasn’t supposed to get revenge. But in his time God’s people often had to fight their enemies. It was to show them that all sin had to be removed.”

“Is that why David killed those two men?” big sister, Alice, said.

“Yes, he was showing that he did not support the evil plotting that was going on. David was a mighty warrior, but he trusted in God to help him do what was right, and to rule rightly.”

“He was a good king, wasn’t he?” said Sammy.

“Of course!” said Edward. “He stood up for what was right and trusted in God. I’m going to do that, too.”